The Dylan Kohlstadt Show

Over November and December we submitted six tenders and didn't land a single one. I blamed price, so I asked Larissa Cornelius, CEO and Chief Win Strategist, where we really went wrong. Her answer changed how I'll approach every bid from here.

Larissa Cornelius, the CEO of Nfold and her team help companies win more proposals, tenders and pitches, and she has sat across the table from enough procurement teams to know exactly what get...

Everyone sees the finished home, the successful developer, the published author. Nobody sees the years Jose Berlanga spent worse than broke, more debt than assets, wondering if he'd ever make money again. In this episode, the real estate developer behind Tricon Homes and Onix Residential (2,000+ homes built) gets brutally honest about what building a business actually costs.

Jose Berlanga and Dylan Kohlstadt talk about why "...

If you think personal branding is about bragging, this episode will change your mind. Andre Du Toit, "The Big Positive Guy," went two years without a single speaking booking after declaring himself a professional speaker. What he did next built him a career spanning nearly 20 years and a personal brand so strong that people recognise his wife from his posts alone. In this episode, Andre breaks down what actually separates speakers ...

What's really happening to the South African economy – and what businesses must do now.

Dylan Kohlstadt sits down with Freddie Mitchell, Chief Economist at Aluma Capital, for an unfiltered look at the economic forces shaping South Africa in 2025 and beyond.

Freddie has advised government, worked inside SARS, and spent years analysing what drives (and stalls) economic growth. In this episode, he breaks down what ...

Peter Shankman only has two speeds: namaste, and out the door before you can stop him. As founder of Help A Reporter Out, a six-time bestselling author, and a leading voice on neurodiversity in the workplace, he's built an entire system around a brain that never idles.

Dylan sits down with Peter to unpack the life rules, the environments he engineers to kill decision fatigue, and the discipline behind writing a bestseller on...

In this episode of The DK Show, Dylan Kohlstadt, CEO of Shift ONE, sits down with Andre du Toit, “The Big Positive Guy,” for a powerful conversation about optimism, leadership, workplace culture, and building a better future.

Andre shares why optimism isn’t about blindly believing that everything will be okay. It’s about believing that tomorrow can be better than today and having an action plan to mak...

Gordon Henry spent years on the other side of the table – as a procurement manager deciding which agencies made the cut and which didn't. Now, as co-founder of IAN (Independent Agency Network), he's using that insider knowledge to help independent agencies stop underselling themselves, compete with the global giants, and finally take their seat at the table.

Shift ONE is a proud member of IAN, and in this episode Dylan...

Rizanne, CEO and Founder of ProfileMe, joins The DK Show to unpack how professionals can get the digital version of themselves into their clients' pockets, making a great first impression, building trust faster, and staying top of mind.

ProfileMe is South Africa's #1 client engagement tool, giving professionals one link to share everything clients need to do business with them: contact details, social profiles, booking links...

From receptionist to Sales Director and Board Member at Lecico South Africa, Jacky Rossouw shares her 23-year journey of grit, learning, and relentless relationship-building across Africa.

In this episode, we cover: 

-How Jacky went from unemployed to her first big break and used it as a launchpad for her career

- Why a learning mindset (not just hard work) was the real driver behind her growth into a sales leadership role  

...

Why Digital and AI Transformations Fail

"Digital transformation isn't just about adopting the latest technology," says Jay Tikam, founder of Vedanvi. In this insightful podcast, Jay shares his expert take on why 70% of digital and AI transformations fail and how businesses can avoid common pitfalls.

In our conversation, Jay explains the critical difference between a "technology first" and a "transformation first" mindset. He unveils ...

Marketing to engineers is not the same as marketing to general B2B buyers. In this Marketing to Engineers webinar, Shift ONE’s CEO Dylan Kohlstädt unpacks exactly how technical buyers think, research, and make decisions. If you’re serious about marketing to engineers in industrial, manufacturing, or technical sectors, this session is for you.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

• Understand engineers: Wh...

While the basics of marketing, like audience and persona identification, may seem straightforward, they’re often overlooked - yet remain critical for success.

As B2B marketing shifts from cold outreach to relationship-driven approaches, longer buying cycles demand that marketers refine their strategies. In this webinar, we’ll walk you through the key pillars of B2B marketing that will help you adapt and thrive in...

Khensani Nobanda, the Group Managing Executive of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank, shares her insights on purpose-led marketing, leadership, and how Nedbank is shaping the future of brand strategy.

Khensani dives deep into Nedbank’s approach to brand-building and leadership, emphasizing the importance of purpose in everything they do. Discover how the company’s brand strategy works like an iceberg, wit...

“We need to start answering questions and proving we’re the authority in our field,” says Irma Karsten.

AI is rewriting the rules of digital marketing, especially SEO, and I’ve got the perfect guest to unpack it all. 

In today’s episode, I'm joined by the brilliant Irma Karsten, COO of the Digital Marketing Academy and head of strategy here at Shift ONE. 

We’re diving deep into how AI is s...

"Business has a much greater calling than maximizing the financial bottom line and making shareholders wealthy," says Pete Ochs

Pete is the founder and CEO of Enterprise Stewardship, and when he joined me on the podcast, we dove deep into what it means for businesses to thrive. Not just financially, but spiritually and socially as well.

Pete's mission is simple: inspire business owners to create flourishing businesses...

"Consumers are not sitting around waiting to fall in love with you," says Heidi Brauer.

When it comes to brand love and building brands, Heidi Brauer is an absolute guru. She joined me on my podcast to chat about brand love, what it means, and what it takes, and shared plenty of other marketing gems I scribbled down mid-conversation (and I bet you will too).

Watch or listen to our conversation to find out:

- T...

"In an undifferentiated category, many agencies look and sound the same, which leads to a price-focused negotiation - a race to the bottom where procurement looks at who can do the work the cheapest."

Stuart Dunk has a message for all agency and business owners who are fighting for a seat at a very crowded table.

You'll have to watch (or listen to) the interview to hear it, plus:

• What most agencies are doing wrong
• One piece of advi...

"Be as crazy as possible. Be as open and broad-minded as you are, and then have people around you to pull you back down to the thing that's most workable."

Terence is a brutal podcast host (in the best way) and got me sweating with his tough questions. 

So I got my own back! Well, kind of. Thanks Terence, for joining me for this episode and sharing your knowledge.

We spoke about:

- What makes podcas...

"Money is the energy of appreciation."

I jotted down that quote as soon as Julie Foucht spoke the words, and there are so many more nuggets of wisdom you just have to hear.

I got to chat with Julie about a topic not many people (especially CEOs) talk about: money. But it went way deeper than dollar signs. Julie went on to share how she believes intuition, feminine power, and money are connected. 

Watch or ...